Video Vendredi: Inserting a little Val and Daria into this year's Nationals

This week as I write I'm headed down to Baltimore for the USA Dance National Championships.  Now this is always an exciting time of year when I get to witness some of the best US amateur dancing has to offer but this year things seem a little different.  A number of the top couples in the Champ Latin, Standard, and 10-dance events are MIA leaving me to wonder what the rounds and results are really going to look like. Whatever the cause (WDC/WDSF war I'm looking at you), some new winners will be crowned this year and many new finalists will be made. 

At least one event would have been getting a new champ no matter what, with last year's Latin Champs Valentin Chmerkovskiy and Daria Chesnokova no longer dancing after Val's retirement from competitive dancing last August.  A big hole was left in US and World amateur finals with their exit, so this week I'm taking a quick look back at what we're all missing.

2010 Cha Cha from the UK Open

DWTS Results Show #1

No matter what you thought of the first two weeks of Dancing With the Stars it is time to say goodbye to the first couple.  But of course there is a whole hour to fill first (to say nothing of the preceding hour which showed all the dances from the first two weeks again, why did I watch two weeks of shows when I could have watched one hour instead?!).  If you're looking to avoid watching an hour worth of fluff just to find out who is going home this recap is for you, and updates are happening live!

The show kicked off with a jive number by the professional dancers.  It was entertaining enough but why was Val in the back at any point?!  A question I don't have the answer to. 

Another question I don't have the answer to, what on earth is Brooke Burke wearing?  If you were looking for a reason to watch the show this might be it!

Now we're on to our first actual news of the evening.  Melissa & Maksim, Gladys & Tristan, and Martina & Tony are paraded out to learn their fate.  Unsurprisingly Melissa & Maks are declared safe (no doubt thanks to his fan base).  Gladys & Tristan were next to get relief.  This leaves poor Martina & Tony who did not look at all surprised to find out they will have to wait a little longer to find out if they're going home.

Next up, a performance by Sugarland with Matt Nathanson with a corresponding dance by Tristan and Peta.  The kind of filler we are well used to on these result shows!

And now for more results!  Jaleel & Kym are safe, again no surprise.  Roshon & Chelsie though are still in jeopardy.  Could they actually be going home?  Doubtful.  William & Cheryl are also safe (and therefore will be doing a sexy salsa next week which potentially means even less clothes for the two of them).

The next performance was by the DWTS Troupe.  A decent if a little strange Cha Cha.

More results?  Oh yeah, there's only 15 minutes left now they need to get to it!  Derek & Maria (who has two broken ribs) Val & Sherri, and Mark and Katherine are all announced safe at the same time.  Mass hugging and celebration ensues, with Sherri of course going crazy. 

Sugarland is back with "Find the Beat Again".  Accompanied by more dancing, three Troupe ladies running around one Troupe lead  and sometimes doing a little jive and sometimes a little running man.  Best I can tell is this guy likes to do flips.

Results time!  Donald & Peta are coming back next week.  Whew!  Gavin & Karina are not so lucky and will have to wait about 8 minutes now to find out their future.  Jack & Anna are safe.

So with about five minutes left Tony & Martina, Roshon & Chelsie, and Gavin & Karina are in danger of going home.  The most surprising exit would surely be Roshon, since the other two stars have really not taken to dancing so far but we shall see!

Here we go!  Roshon & Chelsie are safe.  Which leaves the two remaining couples in the bottom two.  And it is the end of the road for Martina & Tony.  She blames her exit on her mistakes yesterday (although even without the mistakes she likely would have been at least in the bottom two).  Maybe she would have gotten better but I guess we'll never know.

Martina's Last Dance

So that's all folks!  We say goodbye to the tennis star this week.  Who do you think will go next?

DWTS Week 2 Recap

It is Week 2 of Dancing with the Stars and of course my first thought is, can everyone live up to last week?  The stars really brought it for the shows premiere, with everyone turning in an at least respectable performance.  And this week?  Well, here's my take on the night's performances.

Roshon Fegan & Chelsie Hightower
Dance:  Quickstep
Song:  Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous
Judges' Scores:  26 (9's for Bruno & CA, an 8 from Len)   

Roshon and Chelsie kicked off the show with a quickstep and I for one wasn't sure how this kid ingrained with hip hop (self-proclaimed) was going to handle it.  All in all, not bad.  The choreography was pretty hard and he still managed with minimal slip ups.  His frame is definitely a little weird and I wish they had taken more time to fix that and eased up a little bit; the dance felt a little rushed.  Len commended him for taking heel leads, I wouldn't go that far but his footwork wasn't horrible; he was definitely trying.  And my oh my were the judges' scores inflated.  I have to wonder what this means for the rest of the episode.

Sherri Shepherd & Valentin Chmerkovskiy
Dance:  Jive
Song:  Proud Mary
Judges' Scores:  23 (8's for Bruno & CA, a 7 from Len)

Sherri was next up and once again she wasn't lacking for entertainment.  She came out ready to embody Tina Turner and she worked it, mouthing the words, the whole song.  They definitely made one mistake in the routine, missing what appears to me should have been an under the leg pass.  Sherri played it off though and hardly missed a beat.  I have to admit her enthusiasm is a little bit distracting, you hardly even notice she's not dancing that much she's having so much fun.  The judges noted the mistake but said they didn't care they just loved it.  Len said he wished there was more jive content but he just loves watching her.  Probably spot on, Len, well done.  I hope all her enthusiasm and confidence on the dance floor doesn't become too campy or prevent her from really learning to dance, but for now I'm on board.  I, of course, have to say I wish Val got to do the jive a little later in the season; didn't get to see much of his amazing dancing in this routine.

Melissa Gilbert & Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Dance:  Quickstep
Song:  Dancing with Myself
Judges' Scores:   20 (7's for Bruno & CA, a 6 from Len)

Well this quickstep was really just plagued with awkward.  An awkward frame, including a sagging right arm and that dreaded left shoulder scrunch we've all seen before.  An awkward facial expression from Melissa, who just seemed to be thinking and trying too hard throughout.  The choreography wasn't easy and I'm sure this contributed to her difficulties but I just couldn't get past the palpable apprehension.  Credit where credit is due, there was a fairly nice (and once again not easy) death drop at the end, if only she could approach the rest of her dancing with that little fear we might be in business.  I agree with the judges' comments on this one (if not always their scores).

Jack Wagner & Anna Trebunskaya
Dance:  Jive
Song:  Gimme Some Lovin
Judges' Scores:  21 (trip 7's)

I hardly mention costumes  in here (so much to say so little time) but I have to quickly comment on Jack's.  I think it is a little cruel to make non-pro wear brown in the first couple of weeks, just not something they can really pull off.  Now on to the dancing.  The dance contained some difficult choreography but even with it you could tell there had been an emphasis on technique.  Even if he doesn't always get it, you can tell there is a concentration on taking the right sized steps in the jive basics and I appreciate it.  He made a few mistakes but it wasn't really surprising considering how hard he was dancing; he went all out!  Carrie Anne called him out for over-dancing which would be fair if they didn't usually reward that sort of thing.  Len mentioned their dancing was of an acceptable standard to take them through to next week.  I hope to see them next week as I think they're on the better end of things than just acceptable.

Gladys Knight & Tristan MacManus
Dance:  Quickstep
Song:  Sir Duke
Judges' Scores:  19 (7's for Bruno & CA, a 5 from Len)

Oh dear!  I don't have much to say about this one.  The dance was completely unmemorable.  There was nothing really clean about the routine or the technique.  To be fair, the song didn't help them, it just was not the right upbeat feeling for the quickstep.  The dance felt almost slow motion.  I was still waiting for something to happen when the number ended abruptly (along with any chance of redemption for this quickstep).  The judges certainly gave it no love and I'd reluctantly have to agree with them up, until the scores that is.  Bruno and Carrie Anne both gave the same scores they gave for Jack & Anna.  Inexplicable.

Katherine Jenkins & Mark Ballas
Dance:  Jive
Song:  Ain't Nothing Wrong With That
Judges' Scores:  26 (9's for Bruno & CA, an 8 from Len)

After expressing her fear of being sexy in the rehearsal footage, I was afraid we were in for a timid jive but I was pleasantly surprised.  She really tried to sell the number throughout, facial expressions and sexy moves and all.  If I'm being critical she could use better arm extension; not tensing up her upper body to make up for the speed and looseness required below.  Of course, same as everyone, she could also close her feet a bit more in the basic steps.  But I was entertained and mostly impressed.

Jaleel White & Kym Johnson
Dance:  Jive
Song:  Marry You
Judges' Scores: 22 (7's for Len & CA, an 8 from Bruno) 

Jaleel was one of the standouts of last week and I don't think the expectations helped him here.  His natural movement was of course evident and helped him achieve pretty clean basics.  However, it also made him appear to not be trying hard enough. The dance had plenty of theme, complete with diner outfits and a fake food, but could have been more upbeat with a little more pep in the steps.  Technically, I think he could have a good jive down the road with a little more energy and a little more flexibility in his hips.  I had to agree with Len, the dance could have used more attack.  But more surprisingly I even agreed with Carrie Anne, that it was a little flat footed.

Maria Menounos & Derek Hough
Dance:  Quickstep
Song:  Sexy Sexy
Judges' Scores:  25 (8's for Len & CA, a 9 from Bruno)

Now after last week I have to say I wasn't expecting much out of this pair but I was happily surprised.  I could have done without the Bonnie & Clyde theme or at least would have preferred better costumes for it.  The masks and hats didn't exactly go with the ballgown but I digress.  There were actually some parts with very good frame.  Obviously working on maintaining that frame consistently should be a goal for them but seeing it in only the second week makes me thing there could be a dancer in this girl yet.  There were a few missteps in the routine, that the judges harped on, but I think mistakes should be expected and its more about how you handle it.  Overall I enjoyed this week and was impressed by the turn around from last week.  I still would have liked to see some more basic steps but the routine was much better than the cha-cha-less Cha of last week!

Martina Navratilova & Tony Dovolani
Dance:  Jive
Song:  Tell Her About It
Judges' Scores:  17 (6's for Bruno & CA, a 5 from Len)  

And here comes another massive "Oh dear"!  Much like with Gladys' routine, I just don't even know what to say.  She missed the entire beginning section of the routine, a kick & flick grouping along, along with other parts throughout.  Her footwork was sloppy and there was basically no speed or energy in the number.  Her confused costume didn't help her but I'm not sure anything would have really helped.  She is unfortunately the worst dancer on the show without a doubt.  She is definitely trying her best and really wants to learn which is admirable but I have doubts right now about how much she could improve.

Donald Driver & Peta Murgatroyd
Dance:  Quickstep
Song:  Stay the Night
Judges' Scores:  24 (trip 8's)

I loved Donald last week and this week was no different.  He is just so enjoyable to watch and his enthusiasm is just contagious.  The technical ability in this routine wasn't fantastic, his frame was just okay and the footwork could have been better controlled (and in some cases was outright sloppy) but I still really liked the number.  Even with its faults it was still one of the better quicksteps of the night.  Probably more shocking than any of that though was Len apologizing for undermarking their Cha Cha from last week (he gave them a 7).  After rewatching the tape, Len said he should have given them a higher score and I have to agree!

Gavin DeGraw & Karina Smirnoff
Dance:  Jive
Song:  Wild One
Judges' Scores:  21 (trip 7's)

The jive was definitely better than Gavin's foxtrot last week.  He was trying really hard and was selling it as best he could.  Of course, it was not great technically and his kicks were pretty bad, but overall it was enjoyable to watch.  I just don't see him making a real run for it but it seems like he has enough fans to pull him through to next week.

William Levy & Cheryl Burke
Dance:  Quickstep
Song:  Nice Work If You Can Get It
Judges' Scores:  25 (9's from Bruno & CA, a 7 from Len)

After over-inflated marks for their Cha Cha last week, I was not looking forward to them closing the show this week.  However, this week at least one judge resisted the urge to mark based on looks alone.  For sure, William won the costume lottery this week; wearing a tuxedo fronted suit made him look the part and that dapper look definitely helped the overall success of the number.  His frame wasn't bad in the sense that his arms were generally in a decent place but he tips forward from the waist leaning his head way in and over Cheryl.  Likewise, his footwork was just okay.  So I guess now you know which judge I agreed with; Len all the way with "good not great".

Second week on top of the leader board, early favorites?

Now tomorrow night someone goes home after combining the judges' scores and viewer votes from the past two weeks.  So where does the leader board stand?  Once again I'm going to try and break the ties and correct for some crazy judging.  It's not an easy task, but here goes nothing!  

This week's scores:

      Judges' Rankings                                          My Rankings                                                                                                                                   

Place	Couple	Points	Place	Couple
1	Katherine & Mark	26	1	Katherine & Mark
1	Roshon & Chelsie	26	2	Maria & Derek
3	Maria & Derek	25	3	Roshon & Chelsea
3	William & Cheryl	25	4	Donald & Peta
5	Donald & Peta	24	5	William & Cheryl
6	Sherri & Val	23	6	Jaleel & Kym
7	Jaleel & Kym	22	7	Jack & Anna
8	Jack & Anna	21	8	Sherri & Val
8	Gavin & Karina	21	9	Gavin & Karina
10	Melissa & Maks	20	10	Melissa & Maks
11	Gladys & Tristan	19	11	Gladys & Tristan
12	Martina & Tony	17	12	Martina & Tony

Combined scores from the first two weeks (this was really tough):

      Judges' Rankings                                          My Rankings      

Place  Couple Points Place Couple 1 Katherine & Mark 52 1 Katherine & Mark 2 Roshon & Chelsea 49 2 Roshon & Chelsea 2 William & Cheryl 49 3 Jaleel & Kym 4 Jaleel & Kym 48 4 Donald & Peta 5 Maria & Derek 46 5 William & Cheryl 5 Sherri & Val 46 6 Maria & Derek 7 Donald & Peta 45 7 Jack & Anna 8 Jack & Anna 44 8 Sherri & Val 9 Gladys & Tristan 42 9 Gladys & Tristan 10 Gavin & Karina 41 10 Melissa & Maks 11 Melissa & Maks 40 11 Gavin & Karina 12 Martina & Tony 37 12 Martina & Tony

That about does it!  Who comes back next week?  Now there is a tough question!  If it was based only on dancing we'd surely be saying bye to Martina and Tony, but none of us are crazy enough to think its just about dancing!  If it weren't for Maks' popularity I would say Melissa would definitely be a goner but his fans could just keep her in it for awhile.  I'm hoping a middle of the pack couple like Jack and Anna doesn't suffer but I guess we'll find out soon enough!

Video Vendredi: When you really are born a Ballroom Dancer!

Well this week, my video choice was easy thanks to Dance Forums!  How could I not go for something so adorable?!  This kid clearly has the dancing genes but more than anything it is just great to watch him having so much fun and really interpreting the music.  There was also a video of his fantastic Paso Doble rendition, that I loved even more, but it has unfortunately since been removed; I'll certainly alert you if it resurfaces!  With so much talent already, looks like we'll be hearing a lot more about him in a few years! 

Bets on when he wins his first title??

DWTS Season 14 Premiere

As Dancing with the Stars Season 14 premiered last night, I prepared myself for sub par dancing and inflated judges scores, ridiculously skimpy costumes and poor music choices.  After seeing some great dancing at the MIT Open this past weekend I knew it wouldn't be an easy task but I had some of my DWTS fanatic friends over to help me get in the mood and forget for at least a few hours what real ballroom looks like.

So without further ado, here were my thoughts on how the show progressed last night!

Maria Menounos & Derek Hough
Dance:  Cha Cha
Song:  What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger)
Judges' Scores:  21 (trip 7's) 

Unfortunately for them, they had the very tough position of going first for the night and it certainly did them no favors.  There was essentially no Cha Cha to be found in this routine, that might have been one lock step there, but who is even sure?  She also had what may have been the largest side chasses ever seen by man; getting her to close her feet together was clearly not Derek's priority.  I quickly got bored with the performance but my friends were happily impressed with all the poses thrown in there.  The judges also noted they moved from picture to picture without much in between but they didn't seem to mind and gave them some of the most inflated scores of the night.

Jack Wagner & Anna Trebunskaya
Dance:  Foxtrot
Song:  Sugar Town
Judges' Scores:  23 (8's for Bruno and CA, a 7 from Len) 

Next up, Jack and Anna had a sort of 50s picnic themed foxtrot complete with fake grass.  Coming off of Maria and Derek's performance I was actually quite impressed to see some actual foxtrot.  Was that a feather, three step they started with?!   Yes, in fact it was!  I was just so happy to see someone attempting to dance the actual dance they were given that I was feeling lenient about technique, frame, and pretty much everything.  Len did note the technique was poor, but at least their was something to judge the technique of! Now you might think their scores are a little high, but given the night started with a 21 it had to go somewhere.

Donald Driver & Peta Murgatroyd
Dance:  Cha Cha
Song:  Dedication to my Ex (Miss That)
Judges' Scores:  21 (trip 7's) 

This season's male athlete, with incredibly skinny legs as noted by Peta, kicked his dancing debut off with an entertaining Cha Cha.  It was hard not to be distracted by Peta extremely shiny and barely there gold costume but maybe that was part of her strategy because I don't have much bad to say about this one.  There were a lot of non-Cha moves and the actually steps weren't that great but the whole thing was pretty entertaining.  He has some natural rhythm and movement and he should definitely be around for awhile.  The judges must have been distracted by Peta's costume in a bad way because the fact that he was left tied with Derek and Maria was completely ridiculous.

Gavin DeGraw & Karina Smirnoff
Dance:  Foxtrot
Song:  I Run to You
Judges' Scores:  20 (7's for Bruno and CA, a 6 from Len) 

Last season's pro winner Karina may be setting her sights a little high looking for another win with partner Gavin but their dancing wasn't terrible.  There was some genuine effort but there were some really awkward moments complete with some truly awful pivots and scary side by side stuff.  Compared to Jack and Anna's foxtrot it clearly wasn't as good, but most of the judges didn't really acknowledge that.  They did however mark them lower than Derek & Maria which I can understand but still it seems a little unfair since they did try and dance the foxtrot.  I wouldn't be surprised if Gavin sticks around for a little while but I'd be absolutely floored if he made it to the finale.

Roshon Fegan & Chelsea Hightower
Dance:  Cha Cha
Song:  Glad You Came
Judges' Scores:  23  (8's for Bruno and CA, a 7 from Len) 

So there were some attempted basic steps, props for that.  What the real take away is though is that the kid spins pretty well, in that Michael Jackson sort of way, so we'll probably be seeing a whole lot more of that in weeks to come.  That said, he may fancy himself a mini-MJ a bit too much.  He's certainly no MJ, or even Usher, but the judges went along with it.  Only time will tell if his "background" as a hip hop dancer will help or harm him but its safe to say he has at least some natural movement.  If we're comparing, and of course I am, I didn't like his "natural movement" any better than Donald's and I found Donald much more entertaining but the judges disagreed.

Sherri Shepherd & Valentin Chmerkovskiy
Dance:  Foxtrot
Song:  Sherry
Judges' Scores:  23 (8's for Bruno and CA, a 7 from Len) 

Now I have to admit I remember more about the practice footage of Sherri and Val than their actual dance; she is this season's comedienne after all.  She did express her worry about being elegant.  I'm not entirely sure she reached elegance but it wasn't awkward and really what more can you hope for with foxtrot in the first week?  It's still a little weird watching Val doing standard but overall I enjoyed their performance.  The judges loved that she was having so much fun with it and honestly so did I.  Backstage she apologized to every former DWTS contestant she ever criticized on The View, noting how hard it truly is to get out there.  I think she'll be getting out there for at least a few more weeks, if for nothing else to keep everyone entertained.

Melissa Gilbert & Maksim Chmerkovskiy
Dance:  Cha Cha
Song:  Ain't No Mountain High Enough
Judges' Scores:  20  (7's for Bruno and CA, a 6 from Len) 

Writing this the next day I can honestly, and surprisingly say, this was probably the least memorable performance of the night.  Now I have to say this was definitely a Cha Cha.  Maks put in a lot of real Cha Cha choreography and it was not an easy routine.  In the end it probably should have been a bit easier so she had a chance to sell it because over all it was a bit boring.  Maks seemed a little off his game and slipped a few times so maybe it just wasn't their week.  Given Maks' fan base I'm sure they'll have a few more chances at it but thus far she isn't looking to be a favorite (based on dancing ability or personal appeal).

William Levy & Cheryl Burke
Dance:  Cha Cha
Song:  International Love
Judges' Scores:  24 (trip 8's)  

Well, what can I say other than they are definitely in the running for the prize of most inflated scores of the week (they may have just beat out Derek and Maria for that title).  The only explanation I can really give is that the judges reward people they think are hot and since Bruno declared them something like the "hottest package of the season", I don't think I'm far off.  Now they did have one week less of rehearsal than everyone else because of his schedule (really?! he's the busiest "star" on this show?!) but I'm not sure he even moved that much.  I could have just been distracted by Cheryl's dancing, which was over the top, but he really wasn't anything great.

Martina Navratilova & Tony Dovolani
Dance:  Foxtrot
Song:  Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby
Judges' Scores:  20 (7's for Bruno and CA, a 6 from Len) 

I don't even want to write this but this was sadly the worst performance of the night.  Now it was nowhere near awful but Martina was just too nervous and awkward to really be able to pull off the foxtrot like some of the others.  She was better than I expected her to be but I wasn't expecting her to be good.  As a true tennis superstar, I just didn't see that translating well for her and it didn't.  Unless he can pull off a true dancing miracle, this will be another season of no Mirror Ball for Tony.  I'd love to see her stick around for at least a few weeks to watch her improve, because I'm sure she will.  She may be the least natural dancer on the show but that means there is only room to go up from here.

Katherine Jenkins & Mark Ballas
Dance:  Foxtrot
Song:  The Show
Judges' Scores:  26 (9's for Bruno and CA, an 8 from Len)  

Admission:  I was totally sold on their performance before it even started.  I had no idea who she was before the show started but their backstage footage hooked me (maybe its the accent), she's just so cute.  Anyway, I really enjoyed their foxtrot.  Sure, she's a little awkward in frame, but Mark made sure there wasn't much of that.  She moved so comfortably and finally(!) there is someone on this show without incredibly awkward and stiff arms.  I know she doesn't have a huge American fan base, but I really hope she can stick around cause she could legitimately be pretty good!  She definitely seems willing to put in the work, she was so happy with the judges' remarks she was nearly in tears.

Gladys Knight & Tristan MacManus
Dance:  Cha Cha
Song:  Best of My Love
Judges' Scores:  23 (8's for Bruno and CA, a 7 from Len)
 
Speaking of adorable accents, Tristan was up next with the "Empress of Soul."  Gladys mentioned she was never allowed to dance with the Pips but she definitely showed them what they were missing with her Cha Cha performance.  There were some mistakes, but she had a good time and she definitely sold it!  And it should be noted, she did do actual Cha Cha steps (Ahem!  I'm looking at you again Derek and Maria).  Moving forward she could use some help with closing her legs and feet but over all it was an enjoyable performance.

Jaleel White & Kym Johnson
Dance:  Foxtrot
Song:  The Way You Look Tonight
Judges' Scores:  26 (9's for Bruno and CA, an 8 from Len) 

Ending the night were the early favorites (if there can be a favorite before the show even begins) Jaleel and Kym.  I have to say, I can see why they were the early favorites.  He seems very comfortable dancing and performing, even when he is making mistakes.  His arms are a little uncomfortable (point for Katherine Jenkins) but he definitely has confidence on the floor with choreography both separate and together.  The judges tied them with Katherine and Mark but if it were up to me to break the tie they'd be a close first place (with the edge to natural movement over grace).  I'd love to see them do a Latin dance because I think he could really excel there, but I'm not worried about not seeing that cause I expect them to be around for awhile.

What do you think?  First place performance?

Now for the overall rankings.  As I've said the judges, the judges definitely gave inflated ratings and way too many ties.  So I shall attempt to break some of the ties but as always the placements in the middle are tough to separate so forgive me if I'm totally off base!

     Judges' Rankings                                                 My Rankings

Place	Couple	Points		Place	Couple
1	Jaleel & Kym	26		1	Jaleel & Kym
1	Katherine & Mark	26		2	Katherine & Mark
3	William & Cheryl	24		3	Gladys & Tristan
4	Sherri & Val	23		4	Donald & Peta
4	Ronshon & Chelsie	23		5	Ronshon & Chelsie
4	Jack & Anna	23		6	William & Cheryl
4	Gladys & Tristan	23		7	Sherri & Val
8	Donald & Peta	21		8	Jack & Anna
8	Derek & Maria	21		9	Melissa & Maks
10	Melissa & Maks	20		10	Derek & Maria
10	Gavin & Karina	20		11	Gavin & Karina
10	Tony & Martina	20		12	Tony & Martina

Well that's all folks!  The judges seemed to think that this was the best premiere show in Dancing history.  What do you think? 

Video Vendredi: Remember when Karina was known for this??

Well, Dancing with the Stars starts Monday and there has certainly been a lot of buzz about the new season.  You can't watch ABC for more than 5 minutes without seeing something about the premiere.

So I figured for this week's video I'd take a look back on Dancing pro Karina Smirnoff.  Now there are plenty of seasons worth of DWTS videos to choose from, including some all pro performances that weren't bad, but why not go back to what she's really known for in the ballroom world.  That's right, potentially the most well known Rumba ever, her performance with Slavik from 2004.

Of course if you're reading this blog, you've probably seen this video before.  But I find it never disappoints with a re-watch.  Clearly, youtube seems to agree with me since the video has over 1.4 million views.  Could it be the most watched ballroom show dance online?  I've yet to come across a video with more views but now I'll certainly keep an eye out!

Video Vendredi: Looking back on Slavik & Joanna

This week I've been looking back on some older videos of current couples.  Not sure why the urge struck me but it turns out its just as easy losing hours looking at videos from 2000 as 2012.  I'm sure none of you are surprised by that either!

One partnership of interest:  Slavik Kryklyvyy and Joanna Leunis.  With Joanna coming to NYC in a about a month to perform, its just as good a time as any to take a look back on her dancing and with the documentary Ballroom Dancer featuring Slavik supposedly heading to NYC around the same time, the look back seems extra fitting!

So here is this week's video, a jive from 2000!

Video Vendredi: Fingers Crossed for Mirko & Alessia

Since I am a self-proclaimed dance video addict, I figured why not share some of my finds and favorites here.  So once a week, I'll be posting a video I'm finding particularly inspiring.

This week, I've been watching a lot of videos of Mirko and Edita, following the announcement of Edita's retirement.  Since watching those videos is like rubbing salt in the open wound right now, I'm going for more positive thoughts.  A few dance enthusiasts over at Dance Forums have already started wishing for the re-partnership of Mirko with Alessia Betti.  I will gladly jump on that bandwagon, that would be amazing!  In honor of those happy thoughts, I give you one of my favorites of Mirko and Alessia from a few years back:

  A dancer can dream right?!

Standard Shocker: Edita Danuite retires!

Coming off of the Asian Open in Japan last weekend, Edita Danuite announced yesterday she is retiring from competition. Currently ranked second in the world in the Professional Standard division, Edita and partner Mirko Gozzoli were first in the eyes of many. Their exciting and dynamic performances won them titles and fans the world over and their presence on the Standard floor will be greatly missed by more than just this blogger I'm sure!

After her announcement, Edita sent the following message to DanceSport Info for her fans:

"I want to thank you all for the beautiful dancing world. I am going to enjoy the work that I love and continue to compete emotionally together with my couples."

Since the announcement was made by Edita only, the question remains "what will Mirko do"?! Already dance fans are speculating who his next partner will be and many are hoping he returns to former partner Alessia Betti. We will all be waiting for that announcement and in the meantime wishing both of them the best! And to end, one of my favorites of them: